Archive Sleepover

It's not often that I wish I could go back to middle school but this week I've often found myself thinking that very thought.  On Monday, the US National Archives posted this tweet:

Got a young explorer who dreams of a night at the museum? Sign up for our next #ArchivesSleepover, OCT 18! http://t.co/M8iQwHER13.
— US National Archives (@USNatArchives) September 29, 2014

The included link has information about their upcoming Sleepover at the National Archives for children ages 8-12.

The opening line on the informational page asks, "Have you even wondered what happens in a museum after the building closes and the lights go out?" which draws on the popular Night at the Museum series where a security guard at the Smithsonian gets to see the exhibits come to life when the doors close the night.

The sleepover promises to give participants an evening where they can explore and play games and learn about "mysterious shipwrecks, the wild West, and the rugged Arctic" as well as have access to many of the records housed in the building.

An event like this can draw in kids that are beginning to be interested in history and learning about the past. Actors dressed as historical figures are there to answer questions and games and songs make learning fun. Getting to spend the night next to documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and the Bill of Rights could make learning about them in class more relatable.  Experts agree that children learn best when they are actively involved in the experience.

This is an idea that a local library or historical society could easily implement. Even if children can't snuggle with anything quite as remarkable as the actual Declaration of Independence, you can host an event that teaches them about local history or focuses on a specific author or genre. Making the resources available and appealing to children shows them that knowledge can be fun!